"John Marco - The Eyes of a God" - читать интересную книгу автора (Marco John)

last chance to refuse me. If you don't wish to marry this L├╝rian, say so now, before I make the offer."
Cassandra squirmed. Her father didn't know how she really felt, because she hid it so well. "You
would think less of me if I refused now, Father."
'Never. I could never think less of you." He looked deep into "I don't know," Jancis confessed.
"That's why I'm worried. Maybe you'll need a real physician. MaybeтАФ"
'Jancis, stop," bade Cassandra. She help up one finger, the way she always did when Jancis rambled.
"That's enough. You promised to keep quiet about it, and I expect you to do so. NowтАж" She stood up
and tucked her long hair behind her ears. "Let's dress me."
Jancis was about to take the garment from the bed when a knock came at the door. Dressed only in
her undertunic, Cassandra jumped at the intrusion, wrapping her arms about herself. "Who is it?" she
asked.
'Your father, girl. Open up."
As expected, the king had come to fetch her. Cassandra replied, "I'm not dressed yet, Father."
A laugh came from behind the door. "I bathed you myself and know every inch of you. You're going
to show modesty now? Fetch a robe and open the door."
Jancis hurried a dressing robe out of the wardrobe and hustled Cassandra into it. As the princess tied
the garment's belt around her waist, Jancis opened the door. King Karis stood alone in the threshold. His
pepper-black beard was split with a wide grin, and his body was swathed in crimson velvet, kingly attire
for the meeting to come. He wore all his rings today, great gem-stones that twinkled in the torchlight, and
when he saw his youngest daughter across the room he beamed. Jancis had brushed Cassandra's hair till
it shone and had carefully painted her face and nails. Even in her plain dressing robe, Cassandra was
beautiful.
'Daughter, you look lovely," said the king. He stepped into the room. Jancis curtsied and kept her
eyes averted. Karis hardly noticed her. He was taken by the vision of his daughter, which always filled
Cassandra with pride.
'Father?" she asked innocently. "What is it?"
Karis turned to Jancis. "Would you leave us, please? I need to talk with my daughter."
'Talk? But Father, we're dressing."
'Jancis, go," said the king. The handmaiden didn't wait to be asked again. Quickly she left the room
and closed the door be her eyes. "The truth, Cassandra. There'll be no going back for you, not once the
offer is made. And life in L├╝ria will be hard for you." "Not so hard, probably."
Karis chuckled. "Ah, you don't know yet, daughter. You think only of being a queen. But we don't
know this man, not nearly as well as we should. He may breed you like a bitch, one pup after another.
L├╝rian men can be brutal."
'He is kind," said Cassandra. "You said so yourself. Only a kind man would offer peace, you said."
'True," admitted Karis, reminded of his words. "But it won't be a fairy tale. You know that, don't
you?"
'Father, what is this?" Cassandra asked, laughing. "Now you don't want me to marry him?"
Karis' face was firm. "I want you to be sure of your decision, because it is your decision, not mine. I
have no greater gift to give this king than you, Cassandra, but you are no slave. Say no to me now, and
there will be no harm to it. I'll find another way to seal the peace."
For a moment, Cassandra almost told her father the truth. She almost confessed her great desire to
leave her city and country behind, to finally be her own woman and not just one of Karis' daughters. But
she didn't tell her father that, because it would have broken his heart.
'You said that Akeela is special," Cassandra reminded him, "and that any woman would be lucky to
be his queen. I believe that it is so, Father."
Karis studied her with a grin. "You parse words like a barrister, Cassandra. Don't do this thing just to
spare my feelings."
'Father, I am Reecian," said Cassandra. "If Akeela will have me, then I will marry him, because I love
you and I love our land."